Water, or the lack of it, is a real existing issue here at the Angry Kitty Ranch.
I suppose that I have truly always taken water supply for granted. Regrets.
This place that my brother and his wife bought, was a massive hay field at one time. Then it was purchased, divided into ten acre plots and sold at a pretty penny. There’s a branch of Salado Creek that runs along the back side, but it’s barely trickling. A few of the neighbors, who bought into the country life dream, have drilled water wells, but I’ve heard that the table they tapped into would be generous if it lasted 20 to 25 years. Even in town, the water supply has had to tap into a neighboring city supply just to meet the water demands.
My brother has holding tanks for non-potable water. He gets it hauled in and it’s not real cheap. Everyone here must stay vigilant about every single drop of water. During the freezes of winter, letting your taps drip, to keep the lines from freezing, can drain your water tanks plumb dry. My brother’s lines froze anyway, so he was without water at all for over a week. This struggle is real.
For the animals, my brother has a water cube. It’s usually strapped down on the flatbed trailer, and about twice a week, we go fill it and use that water to fill the troughs.
The ducks are especially happy when it rains around here….
There are rumors that sometime in the near future, there will be an opportunity for residents along this stretch of county road to be able to purchase a tap from a neighboring city. It’s like waiting for Christmas morning, or for the tooth fairy, or for your birthday wish to come true.
When that day comes, we’ll all say, “Cheers!”